Can AI shake up the wine industry for good?
In a world where we consume data, possibly more than food, does the UK wine industry need to embrace and develop more ways to bite through data in the vineyard? — Jenni Davis
Platform view - All observations and associated services available in a single tool — copyright Choutette
It’s well known that most viticulturists strive to produce the best quality grapes with the highest yields possible. Since the dawn of modern viticulture, there is now a broader consensus that the long-term effects of focusing on generating super high yields and getting as much out of the land as possible are pretty damaging. Over production reduces biodiversity, depletes nutrients from the soil and ultimately reduces sustainability. And that’s a hot topic right now. There is greater focus and effort to make more sustainable choices within the vineyard, especially in the UK, but with this, there can be a considerable amount of energy and cost to implement.
An innovative and not necessarily obvious way to increase sustainability and to make better informed, quicker choices is to use data and artificial intelligence (AI) in the vineyard.
Autonomous sensors take millimetric photos of the entire plot — copyright Choutette
AI may be a recent concept, but data, of course, has been used in vineyards for a long time. It helps give us the hard facts to determine, for example, sugar ripeness, albeit relying mainly on manual collection efforts. AI leverages computers and machines to mimic the problem-solving and decision-making capabilities of the human mind. Using artificial intelligence and automated data collection in the vineyard allows us to gather the data more efficiently and quickly and assess the results against many algorithms. As well as that, computer-generated insights make intelligent and targeted decisions more straightforward and less error-prone. AI can be captured for multiple scenarios, including soil analysis, site selection, yield analysis and disease detection. Many wine regions have started to embrace the use of AI, but the uptake in the UK is limited.
One company championing the use of artificial intelligence is Chouette, an innovative France-based company that specialises in providing vineyard data and analysis from pruning to harvesting. Their patented technology and image processing algorithms allow growers to receive speedy tailored interactive maps of their vineyards. These can highlight different parameters, including leaf vigour, yields, soil deficiencies and diseases. Working with l’Institut Francais du Vin, Chouette have recently been able to provide a treatment prescription, which gives the optimum recommended volume of treatment, taking into account the leaf density, the disease pressure, the disease detection and the parcel characteristics. This could be especially useful for the UK as it could highlight risks and recommendations for the onset of downy or powdery mildew.
Mapping of vineyard rows — copyright Choutette
So how does this work in practice?
The data can be acquired in three ways: by aeroplane, drone or embedded sensor. Once surveyed, the output of high-resolution photographs provide a visual survey of the land as if it was the wine grower. The data then gets passed through AI algorithms and will automatically illustrate insights of yields, disease and other parameters, depending on what is being monitored. So, think heat maps and lots of colourful indicators showcasing vine by vine what’s happening, all accessed on your phone or tablet.
In terms of sustainability, AI allows a faster and more targeted response to issues in the vineyard. Therefore, this means less spraying and more direct remediation rather than spraying or targeting the whole site. Thus, overall reducing the amount of chemical used. The data also allows to check the efficiency of the spraying protocol too, so ensures only the right amount is applied. Moreover, it means less time spent gathering data and more time analysing and responding.
This is echoed by Chouette's co-founder Charles Nespoulous who presented his concept at a seminar at Plumpton College, “the technology doesn’t prevent the winemaker or vineyard manager from going into the field, but rather to enable them to be as efficient as possible when in the vineyard.”
Some traditionalists say that the best form of monitoring is to walk the vineyard and know the vines. And I would tend to agree. However, in practice, that can take time, both in terms of the physical walking around the site and the amount of time investing and learning what to look for. When speaking to specialist vineyard agronomist about his thoughts on AI, Tim Ferris from Hutchinsons said, “it’s so important to know your vineyard, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t be done remotely. AI can help you get the basics done faster and more precisely, rather than replacing them entirely.”
In terms of the future, how will data play out? Judging by the number of solutions already adopted by larger sites across the globe, pretty significantly. And for the UK it feels like it will just be a matter of time and scale. As an emerging wine region, the UK has an opportunity to use as much innovation and technology as possible as it is less limited by tradition. It would be interesting to see if certain groups or regions would be willing to collaborate to conduct AI data analysis, especially as the sites are much smaller in the UK.
With the increasing unpredictability of our climate, AI may be the key to more quickly and efficiently gathering data, allowing viticulturalists to make more proactive, less reactive decisions, increase sustainability in the vineyard and focus on producing beautiful, healthy fruit to make great wine.
